''In Shifting Sands: The Truth About Unscom and the Disarming of Iraq'' is a 2001 documentary by

Scott Ritter William Scott Ritter Jr. (born July 15, 1961) is an American former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer, former United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspector, author, and commentator. Ritter was a junior military ...

that discusses the

UNSCOM United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was an inspection regime created by the United Nations to ensure Iraq's compliance with policies concerning Iraqi production and use of weapons of mass destruction after the Gulf War. Between 1991 and 19 ...

inspections in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Ritter was a chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998. These inspections were in search of "

weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a Biological agent, biological, chemical weapon, chemical, Radiological weapon, radiological, nuclear weapon, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill or significantly harm many people or cause great dam ...

" during the later years of the regime of

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

. The film was completed and distributed for theatrical release prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Background

When Ritter resigned from

in 1998, he claimed that the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

was caving to Iraq's demands that certain sensitive sites not be inspected and contended that Iraq remained a danger. In ''In Shifting Sands'', Ritter reserves his position. The film is a follow-up to Ritter's 1999 book ''Endgame'', which supported Hussein's claims that the United States used UNSCOM as a cover to spy on Iraq for the United States and Israel almost from the time weapons inspections began in 1991.

Plot

The film traces the history of

, created by the

in 1991 after the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

to oversee the destruction of Iraq's biological and chemical weapons. Ritter repeats the charge that the U.S. used UNSCOM to spy on Iraq and alleged that weapons inspectors had been given a deadline to give the United States a pretext to conduct a weeks-long bombing campaign in March 1998. The film also provides a detailed look into the inner workings of weapons inspectors. In one part of the film, the archive of Iraq's nuclear and biological weapons program is found stashed at a pig farm, which Ritter contends prove his contention that UNSCOM found everything worth finding.

Financing

The film cost $530,000 to make, $400,000 of which provided by

Iraqi American Iraqi Americans (Arabic: أمريكيون عراقيون) are American citizens of Iraqi descent. As of 2023, the number of Iraqi Americans is around 155,055, according to the United States Census Bureau. According to the Bureau of Citizenship ...

businessman Shakir al Khafaji. Ritter stated that he had checked out al-Khafaji via a reporter with sources in the CIA and was confident that he was not getting any quid pro quo from the Iraqi government.

Reception

Chief UN inspector Richard Butler, Ritter's boss, called Ritter's allegations "completely false" and described the movie as a "propaganda film."

Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the ''Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a c ...

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called ''In Shifting Sands'' a "surprisingly dry and dispassionate account of UNSCOM." Kehr writes that Ritter's trustfulness that the film's financing was not in return for a quid pro quo was "out of place" for a UN weapons inspector. The U.S. Mission to the United Nations refused to comment on the film. The film argued that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction because of the UN weapons inspection programme. Ritter's documentary was partially financed by

businessman Shakir al Khafaji. Ritter denied any

quid pro quo ''Quid pro quo'' (Latin: "something for something") is a Latin phrase used in English to mean an exchange of goods or services, in which one transfer is contingent upon the other; "a favor for a favor". Phrases with similar meanings include: " ...

with Al-Khafaji, according to Laurie Mylroie, writing for the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

''. When Ritter was asked "how he would characterize anyone suggesting that Mr. Khafaji was offering allocations in isname", Mr. Ritter replied: "I'd say that person's a fucking liar ... and tell him to come over here so I can kick his ass."Mylroie, Laurie
Money Questions Surround Ritter's Film
''Financial Times''. Al-Khafaji pled guilty to multiple felony charges in 2004 for his involvement with the U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal.John O'Neil. ''Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Oil-for-Food Inquiry''. New York Times. January 18, 2005

References

External links